Naval History and Heritage Command s5
2
Archives Branch
Naval History and Heritage Command
805 Kidder Breese Street, SE
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5060
Processor: Roy Grossnick (March 2010)
Papers of
Admiral James L. Holloway III, USN
Collection
COLL/534
Creator: Admiral James L. Holloway III, USN (Ret.)
Extent: Total boxes; 182
Cubic feet: 61
Inclusive Dates: 1939-2010
Access: Limited access to boxes 1 through 119. Boxes 120 to 182 are unclassified and open to the public.
Classification: The collection is awaiting a Kyl-Lott review of Boxes 1 through 119 for declassification of records.
Scope and Content Note
Administrative materials, research files, correspondence, publications, and audiovisual materials that document the military and civilian careers of Admiral James L. Holloway III, USN, retired U.S. Navy Admiral, former Chief of Naval Operations, author, advisor, lecturer, and director of many boards, commissions, foundations, and task forces.
The collection comprises papers, photographs, and some audiovisual material related to Admiral Holloway’s active duty naval career and his activities following retirement from the Navy. The collection is organized in five series. The first series deals with his active duty service in the Navy from 1942 to 1978 located primarily in Boxes 1 through 119.
Series II deals primarily with his period of retirement from 1978 to present and comprises Boxes 120 through 168. However there are many folders in this series that will relate to his active duty service in the Navy. This is a natural extension of his work in retirement that related to his active duty time.
Series III comprises various documents, publications, books, photographs and oversized records/photographs that cover his active duty, retirement and family history located in Boxes 169-180.
Series IV comprises a special index covering Admiral Holloway’s Congressional Testimony from 1970 to 1988 and references to the published Congressional Committee Hearings and is located in Boxes 181-182.
Series V comprises a list of artifacts from Admiral Holloway that have been transferred to other facilities or organizations.
Admiral Holloway developed a subject listing relating to his records and that is the bases for conducting an electronic search of the collection. This subject listing may also be used to reference the subject data in the box listings. Admiral Holloway’s naval career covered the years 1942 to 1978 and his post naval career from 1978 to present.
Photo of Admiral Holloway
Biography
Awards
Naval Duty Assignments and Service Following Retirement
Subject Listing (Headings)
Box and Folder Listing
Series I: Active Duty Naval Service from 1942 to 1978
Series II: Post-Retirement from 1978 to present
Series III: Comprises various documents, publications, books, photographs and oversized records/photography that cover his activity duty, retirement and family history
Series IV: A Special Index covering Admiral Holloway’s Congressional Testimony from 1970 to 1988 found in the published Congressional Committee Hearings
Series V: Comprises a list of artifacts from Admiral Holloway that have been transferred to other facilities or organizations
Biography
ADMIRAL James L. HOLLOWAY III, U.S. NAVY (RET.)
James Lemuel Holloway III, was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on February 23, 1922, son of Lieutenant (junior grade) James L. Holloway, Jr., later Admiral James L. Holloway, Jr., and Jean (Hagood) Holloway. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy, on appointment from Texas, in June 1939. He graduated with the Class of 1943, on June 19, 1942, (course accelerated due to war emergency); he was commissioned Ensign in the U.S. Navy on that date.
Following graduation from the Naval Academy he was an Instructor at the Naval Training School, Harvard University, for three months. In December 1942 he joined the USS Ringold (DD 500) as Assistant Gunnery Officer. While on board the destroyer, he participated in the Marcus Island raid. Detached in September 1943, he became Gunnery Officer of the USS Bennion (DD 662) in December 1943. In that capacity he participated in the capture and occupation of Saipan, the Southern Palau Islands, Tinian Campaigns, and the Leyte landings. During the Leyte Campaign, he took part in the Battle of Surigao Straits. During the Battle of Surigao Strait Bennion scored a direct hit with a torpedo at close range to help sink the Japanese battleship Yamashiro, sunk a disabled Japanese destroyer with gunfire, and shot down three Zeros. Lieutenant (junior grade) Holloway received the Bronze Star Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for his service in Bennion.
During the period December 1944 to May 1946 he underwent flight training and was designated a Naval Aviator in January 1946. In June 1946 he was assigned to Bombing Squadron 3 (VB-3) flying SB2C-5 Helldivers. Bombing Squadron 3 underwent two redesignations while Lieutenant Holloway was assigned to the unit. The squadron was redesignated Attack Squadron 3A (VA-3A) in November 1946 and then Attack Squadron 34 (VA-34) in August 1948. During that time he served as Operations Officer and Executive Officer of the squadron.
The next two years involved duty with aviation training commands. In August 1951 Lieutenant Commander Holloway was assigned to Fighter Squadron 111 (VF-111), part of Air Task Group 1 (ATG-1), deployed aboard USS Valley Forge (CV 45) . He was assigned as Operations Officer of ATG-1 and participated in air combat operations against the Communist force in North Korea flying F9F-2 Panther jets. He was awarded the Gold Star in lieu of a second Navy Commendation Medal for his service in combat operations while aboard Valley Forge from August 1951 to June 1952.
In August 1952 he was assigned to Fighter Squadron 52 (VF-52) as Executive Officer. The squadron deployed to Korea in March 1953 aboard USS Boxer (CV 21). During his second tour of combat operations in Korea, Lieutenant Commander Holloway was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for strike missions over enemy territory. He was also given a battlefield promotion to command of Fighting Squadron 52 when his Commanding Officer was shot down.
The following two years from 1954 to 1956 Commander Holloway was assigned to shore duty at two different aviation commands. On September 12, 1956, Commander Holloway assumed command of Attack Squadron 83 (VA-83) flying F7U-3M Cutlass aircraft. Commander Holloway directed the squadron's transition from the Cutlass to the A-4 Skyhawk. During the squadron's deployment in 1958 to the Mediterranean Sea aboard USS Essex (CV 9), Commander Holloway's squadron participated in Lebanon operations, flying sorties during the U.S. Marine Corps landings in Lebanon to support the Lebanese government and protect American lives. His squadron flew more than 500 sorties, two of its aircraft were hit by hostile small arms fire during road reconnaissance missions but no casualties were sustained. On August 23, 1958, the People's Republic of China began shelling the Quemoy Islands and Essex, with VA-83 embarked, was ordered to transit the Suez Canal and augment the 7th Fleet forces in the Taiwan Straits. Commander Holloway's squadron conducted flight operations during the Suez Canal transit as well as during the transit to the Taiwan Straits. While in the Taiwan Straits his squadron flew missions in defense of Quemoy and Matsu against the threat of a Chinese Communist invasion of the off-shore islands.
During the next couple of years from December 1958 to July 1961 Commander Holloway was assigned to aviation staff duty in Washington, D.C. He made Captain in July 1961 and was assigned to the National War College. Upon completion of training at the National War College Captain Holloway was assigned as Commanding Officer of USS Salisbury Sound (AV 13). The ship served as flagship of Commander Patrol Force, U.S. Seventh Fleet.
Following his tour of duty as CO of Salisbury Sound, Captain Holloway received instruction at the Naval Reactors Division of Reactor Development, Atomic Energy Commission in Washington, DC. From there it was back to the Office of Chief of Naval Operations in April 1964 as Assistant to the Director of Navy Program Planning.
From 1965 to 1967 he commanded USS Enterprise (CVAN-65), the Navy’s first nuclear powered aircraft carrier. Captain Holloway was in command of Enterprise when the carrier deployed for two combat cruises in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War. On one deployment Enterprise established a record for the number of combat sorties flown, won the Battle Efficiency “E” award for the best carrier in the Pacific Fleet, and was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation. On December 2, 1965, Enterprise's aircraft conducted combat operations, marking the first time in history that a nuclear powered ship had engaged in combat. Captain Holloway received two Legion of Merit Medal awards for his Enterprise command.
Returning to the Pentagon, in 1967 he was assigned to the Panel to Review Safety in Carriers Operations before assuming his regular assignment as Assistant for War Gaming Matters. During this tour in the Pentagon he was also involved in conducting a special study on new construction ship costs for the CNO. In his next duty assignment Rear Admiral Holloway was directed to establish the Navy’s Nuclear Powered Carrier Program and became the Program Coordinator. In this position he was responsible for building USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and paving the way for nine more super carriers of this class. In addition to his duty as Program Coordinator he was assigned additional duty as Director of the Strike Warfare Division. It was in this assignment that he originated the CV (multi-purpose carrier) concept which was later implemented in the fleet.
In 1970 Rear Admiral Holloway was assigned as Commander Carrier Division 6 (CCD-6). While embarked in the carrier Saratoga (CVA 60) in the fall of 1970, he directed Sixth Fleet carrier operations in the Eastern Mediterranean in reaction to the Syrian invasion of Jordon. After this strong response resulted in a withdrawal of the Syrian armored column, his task force covered the evacuation of a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) unit from Amman, Jordan, by a Marine Expeditionary Group. For his performance of duty in this assignment he was awarded a second Navy Distinguished Service Medal.
Rear Admiral Holloway's next tour of duty was as Deputy Commander in Chief Atlantic and U.S. Atlantic Fleet with additional duty as Chief of Staff Commander in Chief Western Atlantic. During this tour of duty he was promoted to Vice Admiral.
Vice Admiral Holloway took command of the U.S. Seventh Fleet in 1972 during the Vietnam War. He directed the strike operations of the fleet, which numbered more than 150 ships including six aircraft carriers, against objectives in North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker, the intensive joint air effort against Hanoi which led to the Vietnam cease-fire agreement in 1973. Subsequently, the Seventh Fleet, under his command, performed the airborne mine clearing operations in the North Vietnam ports which were a condition of the negotiated terms of that agreement. For duty as Commander Seventh Fleet he received a third Navy Distinguished Service Medal and the Korean Order of National Security.
In July 1973 Vice Admiral Holloway completed his tour of duty as Commander, U.S. Seventh Fleet and returned to Washington, D.C., as Special Assistant to CNO. He was promoted to Admiral in September 1973 and assigned duty as Vice Chief of Naval Operations. Admiral Holloway held the post of VCNO until he relieved Admiral Zumwalt as Chief of Naval Operations on July 1, 1974.
As Chief of Naval Operations from 1974 to 1978 he was a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and during this time served as Acting Chairman of the JCS during the evacuation of Cyprus, the rescue of the SS Mayaguez and the punitive strike operations against the Cambodian forces involved in its seizure, the evacuation of U.S. nationals from Lebanon, and the Korean DMZ incident in August 1976, which led to an ultimatum and an armed stand-off between the two armies before the North Koreans backed down. For his performance as CNO, he received a fourth Navy Distinguished Service Medal and two Defense Distinguished Service Medals.
After retiring from the Navy in June 1978 he was a Member of the Board of Advisors of the Citadel, an "Expert Witness" for Congressional Commissions, a Defense and Foreign Policy Consultant for Paine, Webber, Mitchell, Hutchins, Inc., and President, Council of American-Flag Ship Operators (CASO).
In the early 1980's he chaired the Special Operations Review Group convened by the Department of Defense to investigate the aborted Iranian hostage rescue attempt. In 1985 he served as Executive Director of the President’s Task Force on Combating Terrorism. In 1986 he was appointed by Vice President Bush as Special Envoy to the Middle East to resolve a territorial dispute between Bahrain and Qatar. He also served as commissioner on the President’s Blue Ribbon Commission for Defense Management, the Commission for Merchant Marine and Defense, and the Defense Commission for a Long Term Integrated Strategy.
In 1980, he relieved Vice Admiral Walter S. Delany, USN (Ret.) as President of the Naval Historical Foundation. He served as President for eighteen years and then as Chairman for ten years. Upon his retirement from that position in 2008, he was voted Chairman Emeritus of the Foundation.
He was appointed Chairman of the U.S. Naval Academy Academic Advisory Board in 1986 and in 1996, at the request of the Superintendent, established the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation serving as its first Chairman of the Board and President until retiring in 2003.
In 1985 he was Technical Advisor to the movie “Top Gun”. In 2002 a new dormitory building was dedicated as “Holloway Hall” in commemoration of his significant contributions as Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1989 to 1999 at Saint James, an Independent Secondary School in Washington County, Maryland, founded in 1842. In 1994 he was given the award of the Modern American Patriot from the Sons of the Revolution, and in 1997 received the Outstanding Civilian Leadership Award from the Navy League of the United States. In 1999 he was elected to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He received the U.S. Naval Academy’s Distinguished Graduate Award in 2000, and in 2004 was inducted into the National Museum of Naval Aviation’s Hall of Honor for extraordinary achievement in naval aviation.
He is the author of Aircraft Carriers at War: A Personal Retrospective of Korea, Vietnam, and the Soviet Confrontation published in 2007 by the Naval Institute Press. His book received an honorable mention for the 2007 Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Naval History Prize competition and was selected by the Chief of Naval Operations in 2008 for the Navy’s professional reading program. He was named U.S. Naval Institute Author of the Year for 2008 and received the 2008 Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement from The Navy League of the United States.